Rally Kap: Four INTs followed by four TD drives; Smith 10 INTs followed by 0 TDs

Colin Kaepernick doesn’t just shake off interceptions. He produces touchdown drives after them.

For the fourth time in four such situations this season, Kapernick led the 49ers on a touchdown drive the ensuing series after an interception Saturday. That one was returned 52 yards for a touchdown by the Green Bay Packers’ Sam Shields in an eventual 45-31 win for the 49ers.

Yes, Kaepernick is 4-for-4.

In contrast, Alex Smith never rebounded with a touchdown drive when the 49es got the ball back after one of his 10 interceptions the past two seasons. Instead, his ensuing possessions resulted in four punts, three field goals, an interception, a fumble and a turnover on downs.

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Perhaps that contributed to Harbaugh’s amazement of Kaepernick’s ability to do so yet again in Saturday’s playoff-opening win.

“He does a great job of responding. He has done that,” Harbaugh said following the 45-31 victory. “Every time there’s been an interception that he’s thrown, or safety or turnover, he’s responded with a scoring drive. I think that’s rare. I think that’s a rare quality. And so far he’s shown that he’s got that ability to come back.”

Why is it so rare?

“I don’t know,” Harbaugh responded. “I have no statistics to back it up, or evidence. Just a feeling that it’s hard for a quarterback after throwing an interception to respond with a touchdown-scoring drive, especially. I don’t think that happens very often. But, it happens. He’s consistently done a nice job of just moving on.”

In his 15-year career as a NFL quarterback, Harbaugh had 117 passes intercepted and 129 touchdown passes. Of his five interceptions in five career playoff games, only once did Harbaugh engineer a touchdown drive the next time he got his hands on the ball, while two other drives went for field goals.

Here is how Harbaugh’s 49ers quarterbacks have fared over the past two seasons: